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Types of visas in Latvia

There are 3 main types of visas:
A – airport transit visa
C – short term visa
D – long stay visa

SCHENGEN visa means an authorization issued by a Schengen Member State with a view to:

- transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Member States of a duration of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of first entry in the territory of the Member States (C-type visa);
– transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Member States (A-type visa).

A-type visa or airport transit visa is an individual single-entry, double-entry or multiple-entry transit visa enabling a foreign national to cross the airport transit zone once, two times or an unlimited number of times, respectively.

The A-type airport transit visa entitles the holder only to stay in the international transit area of the airport (it does not entitle the holder to enter Schengen territory or to leave the transit area of the airport).

The maximum term of validity of an airport transit visa is six months.

The unified visa (C-type visa valid in Schengen States) entitles the holder to stay in the territory of all Schengen States.

The visa with limited territorial validity (C-type visa valid only in Latvia or with validity excluded for a specified Schengen State/states) entitles the holder to stay only in the territory of the State/states for which it is valid.

D-type visa or long–stay visa (national visa) is an individual single-entry, double-entry or multiple-entry visa enabling a foreign national to enter the Republic of Latvia within the specified period of time, once, two times or an unlimited number of times respectively, stay there for the term indicated in the visa and depart from the country.

Long–stay visa is issued:

- if a foreign national needs to stay in the Republic of Latvia for more than 90 days within a six-month period, counting from the day of entry, and the issuance of a visa:

complies with international legislation;
complies with the interests of Latvian state;
is justified by force majeure;
is justified by humanitarian considerations
– if a foreign national arrives with the purpose of obtaining a residence permit in the Republic of Latvia on the basis of a decision made by the OCMA to grant a residence permit. In such cases a single-entry long–stay visa with a term of validity of 30 days is issued.

With a long-stay visa, the length of stay in the Republic of Latvia can exceed 90 days within a six-month period, counting from the day of entry. Additionally, the D-type visa entitles the holder to move within the territory of other Schengen states for up to three months within a half-year period